What just happened to my heart!?

[Carys]

I know what you mean, I've had ectopics for ummmmm 30 years now and they still scare me when I get an 'odd run' like the set today, very very occasionally. I am used to them all the time, most days, but like you this felt 'different' and 'worse'. I had a similar event to you last year, sudden fast racing, felt dizzy and fainty, the room span and I thought I was going to fall over. Thinking about it afterwards, analysing it to try and reassure myself, I felt the fast race bit of the heart catching up after a missed beat and entered an instant 'panic/something is wrong/send adrenaline out asap mode' within a split second and that caused the second part of the symptoms. So, I'm just saying it is definitely true that an instant fear response can cause the blurring/spinning room thing. If you are a pesron, like myself, who can cough and do postural things to alter your heart patterns, then it sounds like you are triggering your vagus nerve (near the stomach) and it could be that the exercises you were doing did just that - triggered it.

[ankietyjoe]

It is scary. I’ve been left having a lot of “why can’t my body just be normal” thoughts today.

It is normal. It's doing exactly what it's supposed to do as a reaction to perceived stress. It's the subconscious learned response that isn't normal, the anxious reaction to anxiety.

It's probably worth doing a stress audit. There are so many things that can cause stress that you might not even realise, even down to things like diet, alcohol consumption, not enough time outside, not enough exercise (non strenuous), confrontation at home/work etc.

In terms of dealing with it when it's outside, just let it run. Instead of reacting and trying to get your heart rate down at home, just let it do what it's going to do. All it really is is an adrenal response, and it sorts itself out in 5-15 minutes anyway. It might be uncomfortable, but it's not dangerous in any way, so try and retrain your perception away from it being a problem that has to be immediately stopped. Trust your body to do what it needs to do, whilst consciously not reacting to it.

[glassgirlw]

For what it’s worth, I also find mine can sometimes tie into hormonal shifts. When I’m nearer “my time”, I can have a day or two of pretty consistent palps or ectopics. Yesterday they were off and on all day, today I’ve had a few random ones here and there. Also went on a long walk this morning and didn’t have any during exercise so that helps me worry even less about them. I just put them out of my mind and move on! They’ll stop eventually. I think the less attention you pay them the quicker they’ll pass.